Detachable setting



Nov. 21, 1950 M. mowlcz DETACHABLE SETTING Filed June '7, 1947 PatentedNov. 21, 1950 DETACHABLE SETTING Maurice Imowicz, laris, FranceApplication June 7, 1947, Serial No. 753,306 In France .l une 29, 1946 2Claims.

Usually, signet rings are adorned with a scutcheon on which initials,emblems, arms and the like are engraved. In order to satisfy thecustomer immediately and to relieve him from the necessity of waitinguntil the initials or like desired ornament are engraved in the ring ofthe desired size it has already been proposed to i-lt such rings withremovable scutcheons; the desired ready-made scutcheon was slippedforthwith between the dovetailed sides of its housing and secured to thering with the aid of a short grub-screw inserted from the inside of thering; this method however involved serious inconveniences; effectively,it happened frequently that the scutcheon was lost due to an unobservedloosening of the screw, to which was added the danger of scratching oneslinger by putting on the ring or by taking it 01T..

This invention has for its object an arrangement whereby a scutcheon orthe like can be detachably secured to a ring in such manner as toeliminate the aforementioned disadvantages. In accordance with theinvention, the scutcheon is provided with novel locking means includingan M -shaped spring disposed between the scutcheon and a plate securedin spaced relation to the back of the scutcheon. The iree ends of theouter legs of the spring carry outwardly projecting locking snapsac'apted to snap into recesses in a guideway provided onthe ring toreceive the scutcheon. The spring is also provided with detent portionsreleasably interlocking with projections on the plate to hold the springin position between the plate and scutcheon. Means are also providedbetween the inner legs of the spring and the free end of each outer legto limit the deiiection of the outer spring legs toward each otherwithin the elastic limit of the spring.

The construction in accordance with the present invention has theadvantage that it avoids any soldering, threading or other similaroperation on the spring element. Moreover, a spring can be removed andreplaced without any soldering, riveting, threading or the like. Thespring is locked in place between the plate and the scutcheon, even whenthe scutcheon is removed from the and is protected against deformationbeyond the elastic limits of the material.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be more clearlyunderstood from the following description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings which show, by way of eX- ample, a preferredembodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the scutcheon-locking member.

Fig. 2 shows the same member assembled with the plate. f

Fig. 3 is a front view of the slide into which the assembled scutcheonand plate are inserted.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the slide.

Fig. 5 isa front View of the scutcheon with the spring shown in dottedlines beneath it.

Fig. 6 is an end View of a ring with a scutcheon mounted thereon7portions being broken away to show the scutcheon and associated parts insection taken approximately on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5.

The signet ringA l is provided at the front thereof with a housing 2having a guideway 3i! adapted to receive the scutcheon 34 which islocked therein by means of the device. illustrated in Figs. l and 2. Thelocking device comprises a plate 2l' which is slidably received in theguideway 3! and is secured to the under side of the scutcheon with aspace between the scutcheon and the plate.. A resilient locking meanscomprising an M-shaped spring 2l is disposed in the space between theplate 2l and the scutcheon.

Carried at the ends of the outer legs 22 of the M-shaped locking member2! are snags 23 designed to snap into recesses 3l provided as shown inFig. 8 in the side ecges 32 of the slide-like member et rigid with thering.

The inner legs 25 are formed with notches E adapted to interlock withcatches 25 carried by the plate 2l.

Moreover, stops 28 projecting from the inner edges of the legs 22 areeffective to limit the delection of the IVI-shaped spring and topreclude its being overstrained.

Carried by the plate 2l are a further pair of stops 29 intended to guideand maintain the lower edges of the inner legs 2li, in order that oncethe scutcheon and the plate are soldered to each other and the M-shapedspring is slipped. in between in the direction shown by the arrow F, thenotches 25 shall present themselves, correctly to the catches 26 withwhich they are to interlock.

By soldering the catches 2S and 29 on the plate to the back side of thescutcheon 3d and inserting the M -shaped spring into the space thusprovided between the plate and the scutcheon a structure is obtainedwhich in turn is slipped into the slide the locking of the scutcheon 3!in its position on the ring being obtained by the engagement of thesnags 23 in the recesses 3l in the slide.

When it is desired to remove and exchange the scutcheon, it is onlynecessary, with the aid of special pliers having noses that are insertedin imperceptible holes i3 drilled in the ring body, to force the snags23 out of their recesses so as to release the scutcheon which can thenbe slipped out of the guideway 3Q. When the soutcheon is in position onthe ring, it forms a cover for the guideway and for the locking device.The front edge portion of the scutcheon 34 is preferably made wider andthicker, as indicated at 35 in Fig. 5, in order to cover thecorresponding portion of the locking device and the guideway. The sidesof the guideway are undercut or bevelled in known manner to receive thescutcheon.

Preferably, the guideway 353 is formed as a separate part which can beaccurately shaped and dimensioned and is then soldered in the housingprovided therefor in the body of the ring.

The construction shown and described is particularly advantageous inthat it avoids all soldering, threading, tapping, drilling, or otheroperations, on the spring member. The spring can be readily assembledwith the scutcheon and plate 2l merely by slipping it into the spacebetween the scutcheon and plate in the direction indicated by the arrowF in Fig. 2. When the spring has been snapped into place, it is heldiirmly by engagement of the recesses 25 with the projections 26 (Fig. 2)and by engagement of the projections 28 on the spring with projections2% on the plate 2l. While the spring is thus locked firmly in assembledrelation with the scutcheon and plate, it can be readily removed bypressing inwardly on the upper portions of the spring so as to disengagethe recesses 25 from the projections 26. The projections 29 on the plateand the projections 23 on the outer legs 22 of the spring protect thespring from being deflected beyond its elastic limit so as to bepermanently deformed.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theembodiment described and illusrated and that many subordinateconstructional modifications may be made therein. For example, the stops23 may be formed on the inner legs and the positions of the variousprojections and interengaging parts may be varied, as will be apparentto those skilled in the art.

Of course, the invention is applicable Whenever it is desired to secureany ornament detachably on articles of jewelry, such as brooches,bracelets and the like.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. An article of jewelry comprising a base portion formed in its outerface with a guideway provided with recesses in two opposite sidesthereof, a plate slidably received in said guideway, an ornament securedto the outer side of said plate in spaced relation thereto, resilientlocking means comprising an IVI-shaped spring diS- posed between theplate and the ornament, outwardly projecting locking snags carried bythe free ends of the outer legs of said spring and adapted to snap intothe recesses in the base portion, projections on the inner face of saidplate arranged to keep said spring in position and means between theinner legs and the free end of each outer leg of the spring to limit thedeflection of the outer spring legs toward each other within the elasticlimit of the spring, the inner legs of said spring being spaced apartand formed with notches releasably interlocking with the projections.

2. An article of jewlery comprising a base portion formed in its outerface with a guideway provided with recesses in two opposite sidesthereof, a plate slidably received in said guideway, an ornament securedto the outer side of said plate in spaced relation thereto, resilientlocking means comprising an D11-shaped spring disposed between the plateand the ornament,

outwardly projecting locking snags carried by the free ends of the outerlegs of said Spring and adapted to snap into the recesses in the baseportion, projections on the inner face of said plate disposed betweenthe inner and outer legs of the spring, spaced detent portions on saidspring releasably interlocking with the projections to hold the springreleasably in position, the projections providing an abutment spacedinwardly from the the free end of each outer leg of the spring to limitthe deflection of the outer spring legs toward each other within theelastic limit of the spring.

MAURICE IMOWICZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the l'lle ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 238,368 Dolloi Mar. 1, 18811,707,211 Baum Mar. 26, 1929

